On April 4, 2025, the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and the University of Kelaniya (UoK), Sri Lanka, formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Hotel Hilton Colombo. The MoU was signed by AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li and UoK Vice-Chancellor Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva, witnessed by Mr. Sanjeev Jayasinghe, Executive Director, AIT OAAA.
The University of Kelaniya (UoK), Sri Lanka, stands as a leading institution in Sri Lanka, dedicated to academic excellence, research, and innovation. With faculties encompassing Humanities, Social Sciences, Science, Medicine, Computing & Technology, and Commerce and Management Studies, the university continues to play a key role in higher education, research, and national development. Through its rich legacy spanning over a century, the University of Kelaniya remains committed to fostering knowledge, cultural heritage, and academic excellence.
AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li and Snr. Prof. Nilanthi, Vice-Chancellor, University of Kelaniya, warmly acknowledged AIT and UoK’s long history of collaboration, dating back decades, and emphasized how this MoU strengthens ties for mutual benefit in higher education and research.
The MoU aims to initiate and explore a partnership for two-year MPhil and Master’s degree programs across AIT’s School of Engineering & Technology (SET), School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), and School of Management (SOM). It also lays the groundwork for joint research projects, conferences, workshops, and seminars, fostering academic exchange between the two institutions.
As part of the implementation, UoK committed to identifying qualified assistant lecturers to enroll in AIT’s programs, targeting the January 2026 intake and beyond. Concurrently, faculty from both institutions will collaborate on research topics of shared interest, enhancing knowledge sharing and innovation.
The MoU signing ceremony was a part of AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li and the senior delegation team’s Official Mission to Colombo, Sri Lanka, on April 4–5, 2025, to advance academic and industry partnerships with key Sri Lankan institutions. The delegation included Mr. Sanjeev Jayasinghe, Executive Director of the Office of Advancement & Alumni Affairs (OAAA), and Prof. P. Abdul Salam, Dean of the School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD). The two-day mission was marked by MoU signing, in-depth discussions on capacity-building programs, and strategic collaborations, reinforcing AIT’s commitment to regional development.
